A/N: omg! About time I updated this ficcie, ne? And people, keep reviewing. Reminds me that these fics are alive and in need of updates ^^
A Different Future
Chapter 10 – Android's Day of Fun
The city was happy. The Androids had announced a fair, and within a week, all was set. Schools were granted a holiday; most people took days off of work; Even Bulma Briefs managed to squeeze in a free day to spend with her son. And so, the two, along with Marron and Gohan, went to the fair.
"Ha ha, awesome!"
Marron cried out in joy as she watched the entire event. Gohan grinned in the good old fashioned Son way. Trunks was wearing a light frown.
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
His mother asked worriedly.
"Yeah, just… I donno."
Bulma knew what was wrong. In the part week, Trunks had changed. From happy and outgoing, Trunks had turned to be a rather close and quiet person, mostly deep in thought. She wondered if letting Gohan train Trunks was the right choice after all.
"Come on, Trunks, cheer up!"
"Gohan, you shouldn't have come with us."
Gohan still smiled.
"Why? What's wrong with me spending time with an old friend, her son and his girlfriend?"
Both teens blushed and glared at Gohan.
"Well…"
"Come on, Trunks. Smile or I'll hit you."
Marron giggled at that.
"Look! Cotton candy! Marron, want some?!"
"Sure, Bulma."
The girls walked away, leaving the two boys alone.
"How're you, Trunks?"
The said boy scratched the back of his head and rearranged the Ki suppressing headband.
"Ok, I guess. Controlling those little Ki blast is getting easier."
"Good, good. Now promise me this."
"Anything."
The boy told his teacher, now in more ways than one.
"Don't talk about it until we're on the roller coaster, ok?"
"Um, ok."
It made sense. Trunks learned in the recent week his hearing was much better than the average teen. And Gohan's hearing was just as good.
"Boys, do you want some, too?"
"No thanks, mom/Bulma."
Gohan looked at Trunks with a raised eyebrow.
"I thought you liked sweets."
Trunks blushed lightly.
"Where, where did you get that?!"
"Well, your mom has tons of sweets at her kitchen, and she's not the sweets type."
The shorter and younger glared at the other, a mocking smirk on his lips.
"Oh, ye of naïve mind and spirits."
Gohan laughed, but then his eyes narrowed as he spotted someone behind Trunks. Trunks was about to turn around when Gohan stopped him.
"No, don't."
"Who is it?"
"18."
The blonde Android walked around, returning the people's hello's somewhat forcefully.
"Come on, we better go before she finds us."
And the two mingled in the crowd.
18 stopped when a certain blonde and bluette came into view. The girl's laughter came to her ears, and made her both happy and sad at the same time.
'Look at her, smiling and laughing and all… happy. I should be glad, too, but… phe, why should I even care for her?!'
And with a frown, 18 continued to search for special energy signatures.
"Hey, you weren't going to run away from us, were you?"
Bulma asked as they found the boys.
"Sorry, mom."
"Nah, 's ok. Come on, where do you wanna go first?"
Marron named pretty much everything the fair had to offer and was about to continue when Trunks covered her mouth with his hand. Gohan then gave Trunks a meaningful look. Flying was much funner.
"Fine. Well, we better get started then!"
"YEY!"
"Hey! Hey, lavender!"
Trunks froze when he heard the voice. Gohan made himself scarce. Bulma was visibly tensed. Marron was clueless as 18 came up to her friend. The boy put on a polite smile.
"Good day, 18, ma'am."
"You're too polite, Trunks."
18 offered Trunks her hand. He didn't know what to do. Taking a more direct approach, the Android grabbed his arm and shook it. Camera flashes went off around them.
"I just wanted to thank you again. You could've saved my life, had I been anyone else. As it if, I find it a really sweet gesture."
Her smile sent shivers up Trunks's spine, yet he blushed nonetheless.
"Well, better get going."
Marron, Bulma and Gohan's eyes widened as 18 leaned forward and pecked Trunks on the cheek. She then ran off. Gohan walked back to Trunks and waved a hand in front of the young one's eyes. He got an annoyed glare in return.
"What was that all about?"
"Beats me. Hang on, I, er, gotta find somewhere to wash my face. Is it getting hot in here?"
And it was with a jealous pang that Marron noticed the lipstick mark on Trunks's cheek.
Soon came the afternoon, and the quartet retired for lunch. Trunks was eating at a Saiyan pace, causing Marron to stare at him between bites of her salad. Bulma was talking on her cell phone. Gohan was out of sight.
"Wow, you really do eat fast, Trunks!"
He swallowed before answering.
"Well, I'm hungry!"
She couldn't argue with that.
"SO DON'T! GOODBYE!"
The bluette shut her phone angrily and crossed her arms.
"Oooh, when I get my hands on that guy…"
"What happened?"
The blonde asked. Bulma was only too happy to answer. Trunks rolled his eyes and looked for Gohan. He found him talking to a man with a wrist band, which's design was painfully familiar. They kept looking around, as though worried of something.
'I wonder who he is.'
"You took quite a risk, Yamcha."
The scared man smirked.
"Well, I'm always up to a challenge."
A glance around.
"Well, it's probably important. So let's hear it."
"They caught Yajirobee."
Gohan cursed as his hands balled into fists.
"Damn it. Do you know where they took him?"
"Yes. We're planning on going there tonight."
Another nervous glance. Yamcha noticed Trunks was watching them, and the boy, in response, looked back at his food.
"Don’t worry. He's on the level."
Gohan rushed to Trunks's defense, at the look on Yamcha's face.
"Wow, he looks so much like his dad!"
"I know. He even acts like him a bit."
"Do you think we can put him into the fold?"
The hope in Yamcha's voice was evident. Gohan crossed his arms and frowned thoughtfully.
"Come on, thinks about it! Three…"
He looked around to make sure no one was listening, then lowered his voice just in case.
"Three Super Saiyans and a Namek, it'll be enough to keep those Androids busy long enough for us to steal that Dragon Ball that's in their base!"
The Four Star Dragonball. The last one needed to summon the Eternal Dragon and wish for a better world. Gohan never stopped blaming himself for losing his great-grandfather and father's memento.
"He's not ready yet! Minor acts, maybe, but…"
Yamcha's enthusiasm was far too much.
"Come on, Gohan, he's his father's son! That alone has to count for some major kudos, and with you training him…"
Gohan's hand covered Yamcha's mouth and he glared at the older man.
"You talk too much."
Luckily, the area they were in was remote, and not many people were there.
"Sorry. Well, I better get going now."
"Right. Take care."
"You too."
Gohan returned to the little group with a smile.
"An old friend of mine."
"Cool. He seems like a nice person."
Marron said, hoping to get on her teacher's good side. Trunks was too deep in thought to notice and tease her.
'Why is that guy so damn familiar? Could he be one of my mom's old friends, like that Krillin guy?'
"Well, he is."
Came Gohan's reply, both to Marron's voiced question, and to Trunks's unspoken one.
It was about 5 PM when a crowd formed.
"What's going on here?"
The bluette asked a passerby.
"The Androids themselves are going to give a speech! I'd have gotten the heck out of here, but mah wife's an 18 fan. Heh heh, guess I am too, if you know what I mean."
He winked teasingly at Trunks and Gohan. Both ignored the man's very existence.
"A speech, eh? I wonder what about."
"Probably some thank you speech to get the people all riled up."
Gohan commented.
"But why, sir? Everyone here already support them."
Marron replied, wearing what Trunks mockingly called her smart-blonde expression. Not that she was dumb, mind you. He just loved to tease her.
Bulma eyed Gohan and almost laughed. The man in question cleared his throat.
"Come on now, children, stop it."
This made Marron smack her friend. Or at least, try to, since Trunks dodged it with ease. Gohan nodded in approval.
'Kid's instincts are improving quickly. Man, he's been dying to do this sort of thing since the day he was born.'
The crowed shushed, then burst into cheers and applause as 17 himself went up to the podium. He drank in the applause.
"What a show off."
Bulma put in as much teasingness and humor as she could. She could't afford it sounding like she meant it.
"The enemy."
Gohan said so that only Trunks could hear, earning him a worried-thoughtful glance from his student.
The crowd hushed down, and then 17 spoke.
"My friends. I thank you for coming here today. This was made for you!"
Another burst of cheers.
"He's a really good speaker."
Marron said with starry eyes and a light blush.
"So was Adolf Hitler."
Again, to Trunks's ears only. The boy took a deep breath, trying to calm this storm of emotions that suddenly raged inside him.
"I know you are royal. And your efforts are known, and well rewarded.
"My arse."
Trunks bit his lip. Was Gohan talking to himself, or was he just trying really hard to get the boy annoyed as hell? He knew Gohan was telling the truth, but then again, he's been raised on about 13 years saying that the man in front of him was the truth.
But, my friends. There're traitors among us."
Gohan's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Gohan?"
The boy's voice made Gohan look at him, breaking whatever the older man was going to do. Trunks shook his head.
"You're not suicidal, are you?"
Gohan smiled.
"Sorry."
Both returned to listen to the speech.
"Traitors, who are willing to ruin your fun!"
'Fun. Is that all you can think of, you big baby?'
18 thought, annoyed, from her place on a seat behind her brother.
"Traitors, who look like you and I, but are not good citizens."
"Behold. The power of nice talking."
Gohan commented through clenched teeth. Trunks surveyed the crowd.
They were buying it. Like he himself would've a week ago, no doubt. Like he still was, if only party.
"Traitors… like him."
17 pointed at the crowd, and all eyes followed. Gohan tensed. He was pointing right at their direction.
"Oh. My. God."
Marron's voice came, making Gohan look closer. 17 was pointing at them all right. Or more precisely, he was pointing at Trunks.